In "The Divine Other" opposites collide. In the end, they meet somewhere in the middle – also qualitatively.
Love triangles are a popular way to combine love with comedy. This is also the case in the German-Italian film "The Divine Other" by Jan Schomburg (44), which can be seen in German cinemas from August 13th. As the name suggests, the main male character has to deal with an overwhelming rival – God himself. In the fight for the heart of a young lady, he turns out to be highly imaginative – and not very "loved".
Whoever believes it – that's what it's about
"Too smart to believe in anything and too cowardly to commit suicide" – the notorious reporter Gregory (Callum Turner, 30) describes himself in this "charming" way. That he of all people was sent to Rome to talk about the upcoming papal election report, therefore not only seems like a bad joke to him. However, his strict disbelief is put to the test when he meets a young woman named Maria (Matilda de Angelis, 24).
She is located exactly at the other end of secularism, which means: She is about to become a religious sister and is thus promised to God. When a romance develops between the two, a higher, jealous power seems to object to their love. Gregory forgets how to talk, is kidnapped before a date, and a tumor grows – "and it looks like the image of Jesus on the Turin shroud."
Divine or Blasphemy?
If you approach the film with a big wink, you can expect a charming, entertaining love story with an unusual plot. The fact that the love trinity is being sabotaged by a jealous god of all things could piss off believing viewers. He comes as a holy little spirit, apparently giving the main character a fat tumor and making an "Old Testament" rather than dear "Our Father who you are in heaven."
One might argue that Gregory only imagines the supernatural competitor – his fear of attachment, so to speak. However, Schomburg stages the love squabble in a way that leaves little doubt about the existence of (a defiant) God. For example, when an image of the Lord suddenly comes to life. Less would have left more room for interpretation.
The fact that the film is entertaining for around an hour and a half is due to its quirky characters and the two main actors. Together with the divinely beautiful backdrop of Rome, they cannot hide the fact that "The Divine Other" is just very nice, but not a cinematic gift from heaven.
Conclusion
"The Divine Other" is fun, and romance is not neglected either. However, the strip provides enough points of criticism to be angry as a believer and as an atheist about various courses of action. In this way the film prevents too much from taking sides with either of the two beliefs. The question of the target group is not easier to answer.